Summary of the six main charcters in the poisonwood bible Essay

Summary of the six main charcters in the poisonwood bible - Essay Example He refused to let his family migrate from Kilanga at a time when whites were facing persecutions, putting the family through fear of persecution and psychological torture. She is wife to Nathan. She is protective. Her detailed actions include ensuring that the family is safe from harm, both from illnesses or hostilities. By being protective, she appears to put the interests of her family before her own. She is also realistic. Despite not having accomplished their mission in the Congo, she assessed the situation rightly and recognized the danger that their being there posed. She responded by requesting her husband to return with the family to Mississippi, a request that he severally denied. She is also cognizant of the misgivings of her husband’s mission and the missions of other whites in the Congo. She is the eldest daughter of Nathan and Orleanna. She is truculent by character. She confronted the request to marry Tata Ndu the chief by throwing a fit. She is also depicted as being selfish. She is involved in a relationship with a mercenary whose intentions are clear to her – overthrow the government to gain access to resources. She continued her relationship with Axelroot despite knowing his evil role, so her family could move from the Congo. She is also daughter to Nathan. She is shown as a tolerant individual. Despite her racial background and interactions with white suitors, she chose to marry Anatole, the black teacher. She is realistic. Leah is able to recognize the fact that political, economic and racial injustices are occurring in the Congo, and remains sensitive to them. She is twins with Leah, and unwilling to speak. She is intelligent. She participated in high-level research on deadly diseases, including ebola and AIDS. She initially suffers an inferiority complex. In the beginning, before she could recover from her handicap, she feels

Fraudulent Financial Reporting and Ethics at WorldCom Case Study

Fraudulent Financial Reporting and Ethics at WorldCom - Case Study Example As a result, the company incurred very substantial losses. These enormous losses meant that the business could not attain standards set by stock exchange analysts (Kaplan, Robert, and Kiron, 2004). WorldCom decided to hide these losses and buy time so that they could pay their expenses later. WorldCom’s senior management resorted to fraudulent practices to conceal these losses. The company agreed to have intentionally misappropriated over $3.8 billion. This amount was a line cost liability, but it was reported as a long-term capital investment. Line costs are funds that WorldCom paid to other telecommunication companies to lease their communication networks. Line costs were supposed to be as current liabilities in WorldCom’s profit and loss account. In 2001, $ 3.055 billion was said to have been wrongly assigned by the company. A sum of $797 million is supposed to have been allocated in 2002. WorldCom claimed that $14.7 billion was reported as line cost during the year of 2001 (Kaplan, Robert, and Kiron, 2004). Having allocated the expense as a capital investment, WorldCom increased its net annual income. This is because the line cost, a current liability, was inaccurately reduced. Following this, there were increments in the company assets since capital costs are considered investments. On 8th August 2012, WorldCom to have used its financial reserves wrongfully. Reports revealed that WorldCom used funds in reserve accounts to pay line expenses. Reserve accounts hold precautionary money for companies to use in case of an unforeseen event. The United States Stock Exchange Commission requested WorldCom to avail financial reports suspected to be.  

Comparison of CAPM Model and APM

Comparison of CAPM Model and APM Title: Is the CAPM model a better asset-pricing model than the APM (arbitrage pricing model)? The following is a brief literature overview and literature review of the economics books and journal articles used in the writing of this dissertation. The dissertation’s objective was to evaluate the relative strengths of the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) as a pricing model, when it is compared to the most viable alternative, the Arbitrage Pricing Theory model. Various factors and influences that impact upon the pricing of certain goods and products, specifically oil -based products, as will be demonstrated in the dissertation is actually or potentially able to affect both these models and their relative effectiveness. The literature mentioned here was used to research and understand the concepts that underpin the CAPM and APT models, such as minimising the risk of loses and maximising the prospects of handsome profits from financial investments. The objective of these models is to be the most effective predictors of risks, changes, success, or failure. This literature review is a summary of the merits and the usefulness of the sources used during the research and completion of my dissertation; all views expressed below are my own. Sharpe, Alexander, and Bailey in their book ‘Investment’ provide useful background information with regard to the economic theories relating to the comparative merits of the CAPM and APT pricing models. The main points that Sharpe, Alexander, and Bailey make that is of relevance to the dissertation was about the origins of the CAPM which economists developed as a variant of the APT price modelling theories. They point out that the main difference between the two models is that the CAPM pricing model considers a single factor (the market portfolio), whilst the APT model considers a few factors such as financial risks, future prospects, and the causes of inflation. The usefulness of each model can depend upon the depth of research needed and the scope of the analysis that is required. If a limited study is all that is needed then CAPM is probably the best option, if a more extensive study is needed then APT is more likely to be a better option. The basic assumption of Shar pe, Alexander, and Bailey is that each model has it own strengths and weaknesses, which means that the effectiveness of each model can vary greatly due to variations within the market portfolio. Fluctuations and market trends are probably the best means of demonstrating that the two models work properly or if they do not (Sharpe et al, 1995). Sharpe, Alexander, and Bailey was a helpful source to use for this dissertation as they put forward the influences that affect pricing decisions, and the perspective profits of any company. Amongst these influences are the industrial growth rate, the rate of price inflation, variations in the short or long time interest rates, and the performance of financial bonds. Pricing models are needed to predict risks due to the variation in all those factors or influences which can make all the difference between a sound financial investment and, a disastrous financial investment. Sharpe, Alexander, and Bailey help to explain how a company’s rate of growth just like that of its competitors can be highly dependent upon price fluctuations in commodities such as crude oil and natural gas, as well as whether those increased costs can be recuperated from the company’s customers. Any worthwhile pricing model such as CAPM and APT needs to take inflation and its causes into account. Thi s book is a highly convenient source of information on many different aspects concerning portfolio investments and the theoretical and practical considerations that students and praticioners of financial investments and bond markets would find very useful (Sharpe et al, 1995). Bower, Bower, and Logue’s journal article from the September 1984 issue of the Journal of Finance provided invaluable background information concerning the APT system, and how its linked up with the measurement of the utility stock returns. The article was entitled ‘Arbitrage Pricing Theory and utility stock returns.’ The journal article by Bower, Bower, and Logue contains the formulas that the APT system utilises to analysis the relevant data relating to issues of pricing theories and, allows economists to check upon their accuracy or relevance. The formula that was cited in this journal article was used to analysis the data from the oil companies that was the main research focus for the dissertation, and its results were invaluable for the formulation of conclusions and arguments. Knowing how the formulas of the modelling theories are formed and how effective those formulas are in predicting events, variants, and success or failure cannot be realistically achiev ed without knowing the exact formula that the respective pricing models are based upon. This article not unsurprisingly concentrates upon the strong points that the APT system has to offer in comparison to the CAPM system. Bower, Bower, and Logue are arguably advocates of investors using the APT system ahead of the CAPM pricing theory due to providing more accurate forecasts. Their article is certainly a useful means to further understand how the APT allows a highly accurate prediction of pricing trends, as well as a sound understanding of the variants that can ruin the accuracy of any pricing model if not predicted or evaluated correctly. This article was available online which made it easier to access and is indeed where it was obtained from (Bower et al, 1984). Brennan and Schwartz’s article from the October 1989 issue of the Journal of Businesses, ‘Portfolio and Financial Equilibrium’ was another useful source of information for carrying out the data analysis using both pricing models to allow an accurate and realistic comparison between the CAPM and APT models. This article gave an improved understanding of how the balance of potential profits, investment risks, and loses that can influence the decisions that potential investors make can be formed, changed, and also how they can operate within any given market portfolio, such as leading oil companies like Royal Dutch Shell. As far as Brennan and Schwartz are concerned the key for any pricing theory to be a successful and effective model is being able to point towards the factors, influences, and behaviours that establish or maintain portfolio and financial equilibrium. There may be variants within any given market portfolio yet the most effective pricing theories are t hose models that take into account the actual or potential variants that will alter the market portfolio from time to time. The article discussed the strong points and the weak points of both the CAPM and APT pricing models that helped develop a personal understanding of the differing criteria for assessing which, of the two pricing models was the most cost effective, or reliable. It also assists developing an understanding how accurate predictions of pricing changes or variations in profitability are going to be (Brennan and Schwartz, 1989). Goetzman’s ‘An Introduction to Investment Theory’, is a sound source of information that was used in the dissertation to assist the comparison between the CAPM and APT pricing models. It is a more recent source of information about pricing models than some of the other sources mentioned in this literature review that were used for researching and writing the dissertation. Therefore it was a means of obtaining more up to date academic opinions, arguments, and practical examples of real life changes of market portfolios, investment variants, and the ability to detect, predict, or even avert risks to investments and profitability. Goetzman provides an invaluable insight into the way that investment theory has developed and its comparative strengths and weakness, or whether the best one to use depends on circumstances (Goetzman, 2007). The main use of Terregrossa’s ‘Accounting for Estimation Risk in CAPM-generated forecasts’ for the dissertation was to assist in the formation of the arguments in favour or against the idea that the CAPM pricing model is more or less useful and accurate than the APT model. Terregrossa’s article provides a relevant and easily understandable guide to the estimating of the financial risks that are a component element of the risk profiles and forecasts that are generated by the CAPM pricing theory. Besides describing the way in which the CAPM pricing model estimates investment and business risks the article discusses the theoretical and practical strengths or weaknesses of the risks that are estimated, and whether those risks are realistically forecast. Terregrossa’s article was a highly relevant one for gaining a stronger grasp of how the CAPM pricing theory can be used to forecast changes to the market portfolio. A model that adapts to those predicted changes to enhance profitability and prevent unnecessary risks being taken that damage company performance and investments (Terregrossa, 2004). Cagnetti’s ‘Capital Asset Pricing Model and Arbitrage Pricing Theory in the Italian Stock Market: An Empirical Study’, was a relevant source of information as it is also a comparison of the two pricing models in operation. Whilst the dissertation is primarily aimed towards using oil companies as the basis for the comparison between the CAPM and the APT pricing models. Whilst Cagnetti’s article was based upon a study of the Italian stock market it still provided a useful guide as to the time period of the data to be analysed. It is guide of how to evaluate and analyse the ways in which the two pricing models succeed or fail in predicting market trends and prices as well as noticing when variants can be detrimental or advantageous to the over all market portfolio, or any company’s profitability (Cagnetti, 2002).

Precision Guided Munitions :: Weapons Guns Gun Essays Reseach Papers

Precision Guided Munitions During the Persian Gulf War of 1991 a new class of weapons made its debut and presaged a revolution in military affairs. Although precision-guided munitions (PGMs), ranging from laser-guided bombs to Tomahawk cruise missiles, represented only a fraction of the total ordinance used in Iraq, the effect they had was electric. The television footage of a bomb dropped from more than 6 miles above descending onto its target and hitting with absolute precision was at once fascinating and jarring. The Gulf War demonstrated the power that precision aerial attacks possessed. The accuracy and lethality of air launched munitions during the Gulf war was in sharp contrast to the relative crudity of aerial bombing during World War II. In Iraq and later in Kosovo, precision-guided munitions (PGM) demonstrated their capabilities. The US waged a type of warfare in these campaigns that was markedly different from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. The US is still coming to grips with the implications of the new type of warfare it has released. The development of accurate precision-guided munitions was not revolutionary, but an evolutionary process that took the course of half a century. Today most precision-guided munitions can be classified by their guidance or propulsion systems. Precision-guided munitions affect the military in three areas. First precision-guided munitions have challenged time-honored traditions of mass. Second, precision-guided munitions have unique information needs. Finally, the capabilities of precision-guided munitions have significant implications on acquisitions policy. Regardless of whether or not precision-guided munitions are part of a larger revolution in military, the implic ations of precision-guided munitions for the US military are significant. Historical Evolution of Accuracy Ever since man first threw stones at their fellow men, the elusive goal of killing one’s opponent from a distance, with absolute precision has been a holy grail of warfare. Weapons such as bows and arrows, rifles, and artillery, were all designed for increased lethality at longer distances, with less risk to the operator. PGMs provide just that capability; that is the capability to put ordinance on target with precision at long ranges. Precision has always played a role in warfare. Whether it was marksmanship with bow or rifle, the ability to place a projectile on target contributed greatly to victory. PGMs were designed with just that function in mind.

Internet Predators Essay

Internet predators and pedophiles are a major concern of our country today. The danger and potential risks that these men are committing on children has to be stopped right from the start Law enforcement and local police have set up predator crack down teams to lure and catch these sexual deviants and get them out of the suburbs and towns before they can cause any harm. The police use entrapment in certain cases to convict and put away these men which some say is unethical and a violation of these men’s rights. Defense attorneys are arguing that police unrightfully cause these men to commit crimes and that these men would have never tried to solicit these girls if it weren’t for the police starting the conversations. The only productive method of catching these men is by causing them to act upon their feelings and lure them to get with these girls. Though unethical, I believe that the methods these police use are the only ways to stop them from committing these crimes and endangering society’s children. Child molestation cases are hidden from the public in order to preserve the privacy of the victim. The downside to this is that this also protects the criminals. Studies revealed that only a small percentage of people accused of child molestation have their names published. A smaller number of cases are even printed in articles. What we mostly see in the papers are the arrests and the arraignment. The outcomes of the cases are rarely heard. (Copp, 42) As much as the internet has become quite helpful in technology and interconnectedness, it has also placed the lives of our children at risk. Sexual predators lurk the worldwide web because they can be anonymous when they are on the internet. A child has no idea who he or she is actually talking to. The sexual predator can present himself as a relative or a school friend. It is hard to tell who the actual person is on the other end. Before, sexual predators interact with the children on the playground. Today, they can do the exact same thing while the children are in the comfort of their own homes. (Philaretou, 2) Child sexual exploitation can happen to anyone – regardless of their ethnic, social, economic and religious background. The internet increases the chances of this occurring because it is a worldwide and powerful medium. Pedophiles and sexual predators can easily turn their computer on and log on to the web and easily get the names and addresses of their victims. As sick as this may sound, the reality of it is that there are a number of child predators who get together and swap child pornography through their internet connection. They share their conquests and discuss ways on how they can lure more children online. They also exchange seduction techniques. These excite their addiction so they go for the hunt even more. (Philaretou, 3) Through these group conversations on the internet, the sexual predators exchange techniques on how they can avoid being detected by the police. When they are not on the internet, pedophiles and sexual predators are loners. They do not commune as much with other people as they do so when they are online. (Philaretou, 4) The most common way for sexual predators to interact with children through the internet is by visiting chat rooms and exchanging instant messages and email. Sexual solicitations are made even as you read this very statement. 25% of kids participate in real time chat and a number of them are already interacting with a predator – whether they be aware of this or not. (Philaretou, 5) This becomes a problem because predators establish an intimate relationship with their potential victims through their online interaction. Teenagers use online forums in order to deal with their problems. This is the very first place predators go to in order to look for their victims. They seduce their targets through affection, kindness and time. They exert so much effort to establish a trust with them through the internet. They know the interests of their victims, such as the latest movies, TV shows, music, books and sports, in order to converse with them more. (Kincaid, 65) They sympathize with their targets by listening to their problems. As soon as the trust has been formed, that is when the sexual predator slowly introduces sexual content to their conversations. Some even shows the child sexually explicit photographs or videos. Worse, these sexual predators may even schedule a victim with their targets so they can meet and personally interact with one another – which often leads to rape, sexual exploitation, kidnapping and worse, murder. (Kincaid, 66) Because of this problem, television and media do what they can in order to alleviate the problem. Dateline NBC created a series titled â€Å"To Catch a Predator† intended to catch child sexual abusers before they actually do the deed. By using hidden cameras, these investigations have an undercover sting operation assisted by an online watchdog group called Perverted-Justice. The police are active participants in the procedure. These lead to the arrests of sexual predators. (Drake, 34) To elaborate it further, this is how â€Å"To Catch a Predator† does it. They build the profiles of minor children on networking websites. They also enter the chat rooms disguised as children and teenagers. They wait for an adult to be the first to message them. The dialogue begins. Once the conversation becomes sexual, the police encourage them even more by making it appear that minors want to know more. Through this interaction, the legal officers are already gathering evidence from the alleged sexual predator. These come in the form of conversations of sexual content via chat or email, pornography and pictures. (Burgess, 122) This brings us to the argument presented in the introductory paragraph of this paper. The sexual predators claim that it is the police who start asking them about solicitation. This is the policemen’s method of entrapment. Sexual predators believe that through the conversations triggered by the police, they wouldn’t be soliciting girls in the first place. This is the case of extreme measures. The police must do something ‘unethical’ in order to prevent an act that is more ‘unethical’ (raping a minor) to happen in the first place.

Internet Censorship Research Paper Essay

Imagine a place where you had access to any information you needed, at any time. Some might say that this place may not exist, but others could say that this defines the Internet. The Internet gives you access to all sorts of wonderful knowledge and other content, but with good comes some bad. Countries throughout the world have begun, or are trying to begin, censoring the Internet of these bad things. Many countries in the Middle East and North African States have taken to filtering entire websites on religious grounds (Dobby) and just last year, several bills, such as SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and Protect IP (Prevent Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property act) proposed shutting down â€Å"rogue† websites that contained copyrighted property, but Internet censorship walks the fine line between protecting the public and preventing free speech. The problem with censorship is that once it starts, there may be no stopping it, and would violate the First Amendment, freedom of speech. Mariam Adas, a Facebook campaign organizer for Jordanians against censorship, believes that there’s no way to do it right. Government will use blocking offensive/copyrighted/pornographic material as a precedent and then further block and filter other political, social and media websites (Ghazal). The aforementioned American bills, SOPA and Protect IP, where so carelessly written, that they would have the power to entirely shut down full websites, such as Facebook, Wikipedia and YouTube for content submitted by users (Hitzik). To pass censorship laws like these would totally contravene our own Amendments. Free speech is the right to speak you opinion in public without censorship. To take away that right would be unconstitutional, and un-American. For example, the British Matthew Woods, 19 years old, was sentenced to 12 weeks in jail for simply posting drunken, distasteful jokes about a recent abduction of two girls. While the remarks where horribly offensive, no one should be prosecuted for using their voice, and that voice should not be censored. Doing such will lead our culture into believing it has a right not to be offended (Chu). One of the main reasons for supporting Internet censorship is to protect children from seeing indecent materials, such as pornography. This is understandable, but it is unfair to hinder adults from viewing adult materials, and for this reason there are many ways that parents and guardians can protect their children from such things, says Adas. One may contact their internet provider, or download applications to filter out inappropriate websites (Ghazal). Filters are also placed on moral and religious standing. The dilemma is that there are many different moral and religious standings, and attempting to filter the Internet to a point that pleases every group would be impossible. People should be afforded the right to use their own discretion and self-adjudicate on what they would like digest. In the end, the issue of Internet censorship is always controversial. Nevertheless, America is a society based on freedom, and the right to free speech does not belong only to the press, but to each individual person. This freedom of should be extended to the Internet, no exceptions. A quote, by Robert A. Heinlein comes to mind: â€Å"The whole principle is wrong [censorship]; it’s like demanding that grown men live on skim milk because the baby can’t eat steak. † Works Cited Chu, Henry. â€Å"Britain Wrestles with Free Speech on Web. † Los Angeles Times. 09 Nov 2012: A. 1 SIRS Issues Researcher. Web 05 Mar 2013 Dobby, Christine. â€Å"Muslim Countries Filter Web on Faith Grounds, Report Says. † National Post. 04 Aug 2011: FP. 12. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 05 Mar 2013. Ghazal, Mohammed. â€Å"Internet Freedom Activists See Bad Precedent in Drive to Censor Porn Sites. † Jordan Times. 02 May 2012. N. P. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 27 Feb 2013. Hitzik, Michael. â€Å"Big Guns Take Aim at Internet Piracy. † Los Angeles Times. 11 Dec 2011: p. B. 1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web 25 Mar 2013.